Exploring the World of Craft Meat
Top Japanese Chef Reveals How to Cook A5 Kobe Beef
November 6th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 62,151 times • 1 min read
Recently I had the privilege of spending time with one of Japan's top Kobe Beef chefs, Mitsuo Yamamoto of Steak Sakura (2-11-14 Sennichimae, Chuo-ku Namba Daiichi Bldg. 1F, Osaka) to learn how to properly grill Kobe Beef and other A5 Wagyu (as you probably know by now, there are many types of A5 Wagyu, and Kobe is only one of them). I flew into Osaka, and Chef Yamamoto opened his restaurant early so we could cook. We walked together into the...
Introducing Wolfe Brothers Farm: Raising Angus beef on heritage grains
October 27th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 11,975 times • 2 min read
Kris and Tony Wolfe are the two brothers behind Wolfe Brothers Farms, a grass-fed, grain-finished cattle farm on the border of Pennsylvania and New York. Their pasture-based farming practice is built on a core philosophy: We simply say, 'Do unto others as you’d have them do to you.' It’s exactly the same with dirt and cows. We are blessed as we nurture and care for the land and animals that we are responsible for here on this Earth." - Kris...
Tips for Preparing the Perfect Turkey
October 16th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 3,371 times • less than one min read
We talked to Chef Daniel Orr, chef-owner of FARMbloomington Restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana and co-host of Earth Eats, for tips on cooking a delicious turkey at home this Thanksgiving. Below are his sage pointers. Photo credit: Farmbloomington Restaurant Brining is Key! Brining consists of soaking the turkey in liquid, sugar, and salt. The turkey then absorbs the moisture, making is less likely to get overly dry. There are no set amount of...
Happy turkeys for a happy Thanksgiving
October 11th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 10,258 times • 2 min read
UPDATE: Our Turkey Sale is live! Get yours now! Limited supply and limited time offer! On Sunday, October 15th at 8:00am PST, our Thanksgiving Presale of pasture-raised turkeys from Gunthorp Farms goes live! We expect to run out of turkeys quickly, so you'll want to claim yours before they're all gobbled up (sorry, couldn't resist). The turkeys will ship to your door in time for Thanksgiving. Each year, Greg and Lei Gunthorp raise...
Delmonico's, the oldest steakhouse in America, on the future of beef
October 6th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 10,791 times • 2 min read
With the suburban ubiquity of steakhouse chains like Longhorn Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, and Outback, you’d think the steakhouse restaurant had been a fixture of the American food scene since the Mayflower bumped up against the rocky New England coastline four centuries ago. But it wasn't until 1837 that America's first steakhouse, Delmonico’s, opened its doors. And not only was Delmonico's the first American steakhouse, the classic...
Cottonwood Ranch is producing craft beef (with the help of craft beer)
October 3rd, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 3,927 times • 1 min read
At Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria, Virginia, huge amounts of barley are turned into delectable, malty brews each week. But did you know that fermenty, delicious beer isn't the only thing you end up with when you produce beer? The other element that gets produced when you make beer is brewer's mash, or what's sometimes in the industry called "spent grain." (Read: Used up. No good. Waste.) But in recent years, craft breweries have started...
Farmers "Uncle Bob" & Kate Boyce share their secret recipe for mock tenders
October 3rd, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 3,499 times • 1 min read
In Central Pennsylvania near the town of Carlisle, there's a family farm called Lil' Ponderosa where "Uncle Bob" and "Aunt Kate," as they're known to all their friends, raise Black Angus cows on grass pasture (with no chemicals, no pesticides, hormones, or nothin'). Uncle Bob works outside all day, moving his cattle, mending fences, ascertaining the health of the grasses, and generally being an expert at what he does. (He's also been known to...
A stroll through Thistle Creek Farm
September 29th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 5,542 times • 1 min read
If you visit Thistle Creek Farm in Tyrone, Pennsylvania like I did a few days ago, you'll wind up learning a lot about cows, soil microbial populations, and the local iron-forging history, all courtesy of ranchers George and Christy Lake. First, George will introduce you to his world-famous herd dogs, who have been featured on A&E for their talents. Especially dear to George is Mack, who, though he's getting up in years, is still known to...
Brisket saga Part 1: Meathead Goldwyn on ensuring brisket success
September 19th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 6,500 times • 1 min read
Part 1 of the brisket adventure upon which this writer is embarking. Fall has arrived with a wet vengeance in Seattle, and with the cooler temperatures comes a hankering for brisket. (Don't you feel it in your bones?) I've had brisket on the mind for months, because while this writer has prepared many cuts in her day, brisket isn't one of them. So I've set aside an upcoming Saturday that will be fully dedicated to preparing brisket (and which...
The Founder of Beecher's Cheese thinks beef is the next craft food
September 13th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 8,078 times • 3 min read
Beer. Coffee. Chocolate. Cheese. These keystones of the craft food revolution have given us some of the most easily-recognized emblems of craft, from armies of microbreweries to rainforest-certified cacao truffles to a widespread ability to distinguish Arabica from Robusta. Now Seattle's king of craft food, Kurt Beecher Dammeier, thinks beef is the next food in line for a craft transformation. (One of the photos I snapped of Mishima Reserve...
